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Will it be business as usual during a lockout?

The Ford administration is determined to operate as many city services as possible during an increasingly likely winter work stoppage.

It is difficult to see how the Ford administration could run services as labour-intensive as trash pick-up without hiring replacement workers &mdash; an explosive and unthinkable prospect under the left-leaning Miller. (TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO)

Mayor Rob Ford’s administration is determined to operate as many city services as possible — potentially even trash pick-up — during an increasingly likely winter work stoppage.

Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, said Tuesday the city’s lockout/strike contingency plan is rumoured to include curbside trash pick-up and keeping open as many city-run arenas and daycares as possible.

A source with knowledge of the city’s plans confirmed Tuesday “the goal would be to minimize the impacts as much as possible,” instead of a virtual shutdown of city services like that seen under Ford predecessor David Miller during the 39-day workers’ strike in summer 2009.

Shielding Torontonians from the worst hassles would decrease pressure on the Ford administration to make concessions. City managers’ first proposal to Local 416, delivered Oct. 19, includes scrapping iron-clad job security provisions, a 10 per cent cut in benefits and pages of other concessions.

Rather than work on six-month contingency plans, Ferguson said, city management should “put its energy into replacing its unrealistic and reckless proposals with something that is the basis for discussion.”

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It is difficult to see how the Ford administration could run services as labour-intensive as trash pickup without hiring replacement workers — an explosive and unthinkable prospect under the left-leaning Miller.

“I would hope that they would not employ replacement workers, or scabs, because they only prolong a labour disruption,” said Ferguson, who has broken with tradition and gone public with the city’s demands barely two weeks into negotiations to replace a contract for the so-called “outside workers” that expires Dec. 31.

A strike or a lockout of Ferguson’s members, plus the “inside workers” in Local 79, could happen as early as Jan. 19. Ferguson said “we learned our lesson in 2009” and won’t strike, but he expects his members to be locked out in February unless the city abandons its attempt to “gut” the contract.

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said he doesn’t know details of the contingency plan but, if there is a strike or lockout, “we will try our best to provide as much service as possible in the event that they do strike us.”

“I’m hoping there’ll be no such lockout or strike,” added Holyday, who chairs the city’s labour relations committee. “We want to negotiate a fair and square settlement that’s fair to the taxpayers, fair to the workers. I think we can accomplish this. It doesn’t help that the union runs off to the media.”

Ferguson said Local 416 will soon start approaching groups, including the Greater Toronto Hockey League, that use facilities the city is hoping to keep open during a labour disruption.

“We want them to realize that, in fact, the position the city has on the bargaining table is unrealistic, untenable, and hope they apply some pressure on politicians at city hall to put forward a realistic position,” he said.

Scott Oakman, executive director of the 540-team Greater Toronto Hockey League, said he relies on city arenas for 32 per cent of his games in a season that ends in April.

A strike or lockout could force some changes, he said, and put the league in an uncomfortable position between the city and the union. “We have not had that internal discussion. I imagine we will stay out of the political component of any dispute.”

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